Sorting Through the Spin

I wanted to try to lay out the Team’s off-season quotes to see if the charge that the FO has been misleading to the fan base. After thinking it over, and remembering some of Bernie’s Columns from 2007 to the present over at the PD, I am now sold that the reporting has lead to much of the “fans” seemingly getting up in arms. Bernie coined the phrase “DeWallet” for owner Bill DeWitt (I believe as far back as just before the 2007 trade deadline but I might be wrong on that), and Joe Strauss started calling the future Ball Park Village Site “Lake DeWitt” (referring to the muddy foot print of the old stadium filling with rain water) in his weekly chat sessions. Both are now popular talking points for the unruly fans.

Below is what I was able to find on both the Cards official site: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com and over at the post dispatch’s site: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/cards
You will have to forgive me, as I am very new to blogging, but I don’t really know the best way to site sources in a formal capacity so I tagged the given quotes from both sites (Cards) = the team site and (PD) is the Post. As it was pretty hard to track down the PD articles I will include the full links to each article with the article’s date and a guidepost as to contents. I also must note that I searched and searched for the now infamous comment on “low-hanging fruit” with no luck (since many fans have been throwing it around in forums and blogs). I know that it was said after the “aggressive” comments but before the “payroll not as fluid” comments. Enjoy.

9-14-08 (PD) Mo announces aggressive off season
Mo: "Last year, I thought the only way we could improve was through addition by subtraction," "This year is different. I think we will identify holes and aggressively pursue closing them in a number of ways."
I believe we look at it as having a lot more flexibility going forward,"
"We're younger. There are still some things we need to do," "This isn't a team that was able to sustain its early success for a variety of reasons. Without going into specifics, I expect those needs will be addressed."
"Today, we have a much better idea about players like (Skip) Schumaker and (Ryan) Ludwick."
"There is always going to be people who want you to do more. I want to see us stick to the plan and how we accomplish it. I know a lot of people interpret that as 'play the kids and do nothing more than that.' I can assure you that is not my position."We didn't have a strong agenda in free agency last year because, frankly, there wasn't a strong free-agent market. This agenda is going to be different. We're going to have to address specific needs either through the free-agent market and the trade market. The impact that will have on payroll is significant."
Joe Strauss notes in his reporting: “The Cardinals enter the upcoming offseason with far more payroll flexibility than last winter, when they faced payments to numerous players (Carpenter, Mark Mulder and Juan Encarnacion) unavailable for at least significant portions of 2008. The abrupt release of utility player Scott Spiezio and La Russa's abandonment of second baseman Adam Kennedy added to the payroll dysfunction.”
9-29-08 (Cards) Lohse signs 4yr $41Mil
10-3-08 (Cards) Cards Website Leach comments that it should be an aggressive off-season mentions “several more hefty contracts come off the book this winter”.
10-15-08 (Cards) Cards get manning a LHP (claimed from the Nationals)
10-31-08 (Cards) Resign Jason LaRue for $950,000
11-05-08 (Cards) Mo on GM Meetings: "I've had conversations with every club, but nothing specific,"
"The way to characterize the last 48 hours is meeting with clubs, assessing what you haven't accomplished in prior phone calls before we got here, but not real deep [discussions],"
Mentions “cleaning up” the 40 Man roster
11-07-08 (Cards) Proposed Holliday for Ludwick trade reported
11-14-08 (Cards) Mo on the off-season: "We've built a foundation of what we're trying to do," general manager John Mozeliak said on Thursday. "But once the market opens, a lot of agents and players are really going to try to survey the landscape rather than just jump into anything.”
"Is there a chance we could do something quicker? Yeah, there's always that chance. But I'm only speaking on behalf of what I know. I have no idea of how they're looking at it."
11-17-08 (Cards) Mo on signing Left Relief Help: "We've got some offers out now, and hopefully we start to hear back sooner than later," Mozeliak said on Monday. "The ball is rolling on that. It's just a matter of a very fluid process. We're hoping we can address some of our needs as soon as possible. I do think you may see some more activity on [left-handed relief] sooner than later."
"I suspected that would be a market that would move quick," Mozeliak said. "It's kind of like the Draft, where catchers go fast. It's a limited supply that typically isn't around in January.
"I think we're making progress. But are we imminent today? No."
11-20-08 (Cards) Cards agree to deal w/ LHP Miller [this is the agreement that is pending the physical, and the deal later becomes restructured]
11-25-08 (Cards) Cards make offer to LHP Rhodes which was confirmed by his agent.
12-1-08 (Cards) No arbitration offers are made to team free agents
Mo comments: "The big thing for us is we want to remain flexible and also look at what we feel might be the best way to improve this team,"
"The one thing that I was cautious about was, if we decide to offer arbitration, there is a chance they might have accepted. Especially if you look at the pace of this market to date."
12-2-08 (Cards) Mo on getting ready for the winter meetings:
"I don't think anybody could have gauged how slow things have developed this offseason, so to try to think that this is going to change gears or change pace is hard to predict,"
"We have what we want to see accomplished as we get into this week and next, but in terms of looking at results, I honestly don't know."
"It doesn't take anybody real insightful to read that this player isn't signing until the Winter Meetings,"
"That rhetoric I don't think is too unusual. What I think is unusual is that there just hasn't been a lot of activity to this point."
"We have a lot of things going on, but nothing that has come to fruition at this point,"
12-3-08 (Cards) Cards sign LHP Miller to a 1yr deal that could be worth up to $2Mil
12-4-08 (Cards) Cards get SS Khalil Greene from the Padres for RHP Mark Worrell (Greene will make $6.5Mil in 09)
Mo on the trade:
"Clearly, he had a tough year last year, but historically he's produced,"
"We really felt this was a situation where we had an opportunity to really improve. He's obviously an above-average defensive player, as well. So it seemed like a great fit. It came about very quickly and we really are excited about the opportunity we have today."
12-07-08 (Cards) Mo on the start of the Winter Meetings:
"I do think where we are today is a better situation than where we were [earlier in the week],"
"But I still think we have to look at ways to improve this team. My mindset right now is that it's probably going to be a heavy focus on pitching."
"I don't know how the free-agent market is going to completely unfold, and I'm still not ignoring the trade market,"
"I think there's two avenues that we still need to look at. ... I think that old axiom, you can never have enough pitching, is something that we have to keep in the back of our minds and not forget."
12-09-08 (Cards) Cards plan to keep Kennedy at 2B
Mo:
"I think he really is out of play,"
"I just think we've exhausted the market. We understand that if he gets the opportunity to play, he's committed to doing that."
12-10-08 (Cards) TLR wants Fuentes
TLR:
"I know we're talking to Fuentes,"
"I don't know if we're going to get him. I know he likes our situation, and we like him. It seems like it's a perfect fit. So I don't know. If we don't get him, we'll see what's next."
"From Day 1, he's been the guy that fit us the best,"
"You know, we have a strong right-handed relief core, whether it's a veteran like Ryan [Franklin] or [Josh] Kinney or Brad Thompson or the two kids [Jason Motte and Chris Perez]. A left-handed reliever, quality like Brian, from Day 1, he's the guy who was our first choice. And I'm excited that here we are and we're still in the hunt and he's still available."
"How can you watch our [2008] season," "and not think that one of our key winter objectives would be to do something to improve our 'pen? And not just count on the guys improving that were there. Whether you do it or not, you've got to try, and it's just a question of priority. I actually moved the bullpen and pitching even above what I had been talking about for two winters, which is the [cleanup] hitter. So, yeah, it's a priority. Now, if you can get them, you can get them. If you can't get them, you can't get them."
Mo:
"We've said all along that if there's a chance we can address the closer role, we're going to try,"
"Is there some more clarity in this market with the rumors of [Kerry] Wood signing and the confirmation of [Francisco] Rodriguez signing? I think it does help define it. It doesn't mean we're any closer to a deal. We're open and willing to explore. We also are not giving up hope on some other fronts as well should we not be able to accomplish this."
12-10-08 (Cards) Mo admits he is talking to Seattle about J.J. Putz
Mo:
"I don't want to speak for them," "In terms of a fit, we've made it very clear that if we think we can find a closer, we'll pursue it."
12-11-08 (Cards) Winter Meetings End with no trades or Deals Putz sent to the Mets
Mo:
On Fuentes "We've always made it clear that if we could find a way to address the closer, we're going to try," "That hasn't changed. But it's a dynamic that takes mutual interest, and I don't think we're to the point yet where I think anything is imminent."
"I don't get into offers and that type of thing," "but I would characterize it as, it's more than just exploration at this point."
On the Meetings:
"I would say, look, we've been going through this exercise of Winter Meetings and you're spending a lot of time talking to so many different people," "If you look at it on a spectrum of success versus just kind of kicking the tires, I never felt like we were getting to that endgame. I just felt we were doing our due diligence to see what makes the most sense."
12-11-08 (Cards) TLR on the Coming Season:
"I've said it, but I really mean it. I don't feel any different right now in almost every respect than I did at the first of two years [of this contract] or the first of three years or the second of three. You know what I mean?
"It's all [about] the year you're going into, and it's all about what you do that year. The only thing I am aware is that the years are piling up and I'm not going to manage forever. But that doesn't distract at all from what has to happen to get our club ready. I don't even think about it beyond that."
"Mo [general manager John Mozeliak] was part of Walt's immediate staff, so we've worked well all year long. I'm not going to get to the end of the year and think, 'Well, I don't want to be a part of this organization.' I think it's going to be more, 'When is it time to stop managing?' But I don't even think about it because I'm ready for 2009."
"It's better than last year's club because you have a whole year of at-bats for [Rick] Ankiel, [Ryan] Ludwick and [Skip] Schumaker. You also have [Kyle] Lohse that we know is with us. I think [Joel] Pineiro will be improved this year. You got [Todd] Wellemeyer with a year of experience and health. I think Khalil [Greene] is a good fit for our club.
"So on paper we're better, and if we can just make a move or two, it will be significant."
On Kennedy:
"His first year, for whatever reason, you know, he wasn't the same player he's been. And then he might have gotten upset, but, I mean, really, I probably played him more than I should have, showing patience because of what he had done in his career. Last year he was more himself, so then it comes down to, is he going to work as hard and be as ready this spring, which I think he will."
On Kennedy’s Trade Request:
"We talked about it at the end of the season," the manager said. "He just wants to play, and I think it was a mutual respect thing. I thought he handled himself really well the times he didn't play. He ended up on a plus note. I think he's been quoted as saying, or maybe he said it over the radio or something, that he just wants to play, and if he has a chance to play in St. Louis, he has no problem playing here."
12-11-08 (PD) Jeff Gordon: “It’s obvious that Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak must sign reliever Brian Fuentes.”
12-13-08 (Cards) Fuentes: Anaheim would be a great fit, being a California kid," "That would be my first choice."
"In one sense, there are two teams gone, but it also narrows the field down a little bit. I'm the last top-end closer left. There are some other closers out there, but not many with my kind of experience or the track record I've had."
12-17-08 (Cards) It is reported that the cards have offered Fuentes 2yrs between $16-$18Mil still waiting for an answer
Mo: On other Closer Option if Fuentes doesn’t sign "A lot of it depends on how the market continues to evolve," "There are going to be a lot of different scenarios that shake out. For me to say we're going to do 'X' or we're going to chase 'X,' it's too hard to say right now because it's just such a fluid situation in terms of how best to allocate our resources."
12-19-08 (Cards) Cards sign LHP Katsuhiko Maekawa with no invite to ST Maekawa has both starting and relief experience
12-23-08 (Cards) Fuentes on the Angels: "They're still high on my list -- they always have been," "It looks like they're out of the market for Teixeira. They'll draw up a new plan, and hopefully I'll be a part of it."
12-24-08 (PD) Bernie calls cards Cheap on his PD Blog
Bernie: “ HERE’S A WORD TO DESCRIBE THE CARDINALS: Cheap. This covers all of the code words and phrases that already have been offered, such as “low-hanging fruit,” and “patient” and “keeping the powder dry.” No, what all of this really means is the Cardinals are cheap until they prove otherwise. No one is asking them to throw money around like those crazy Steinbrenners, but when Khalil Greene is the big offseason acquisition (so far) after the organization promised an “aggressive” approach … well, that’s sad.”
12-24-08 (PD) Cards become “patient”
Mo: "Our approach right now is wait and see," "We were aggressive early, and had some things to show for it. We made offers (during the winter meetings) and didn't get much response. We tried those approaches. Now we have an opportunity here to step back — to step back and see where the market goes next and what makes the most sense for us."

It is reported that the cards are shifting their expected attendance from 3.4 Mil to less than 3 Mil due to economic concerns

DeWitt: "I would categorize it as a slight shift," "We can no longer look at 3.2 (million in attendance) as a lock and a growing payroll as a lock. The economy has gotten a lot worse, and we don't want to be caught unprepared. ... What we've done in the past and what we want to try to do now is not have the payroll be the thing that gets the hit during something like this, to the extent we can."

Mo: “We wanted to address our immediate needs," "We needed a lefty reliever, and we did that. We needed a shortstop, and we did that. We always want to be as opportunistic as we can be (but) we also want to position ourselves to have some flexibility going into '09. A deal, right now, would have to be compelling, so compelling that we couldn't walk away from it."
DeWitt: "We need to be careful because maybe everything is rosy, but if it's not, we have to build in some flexibility," "It's the team that has the dry powder that will ultimately get the benefit of this market. … From that standpoint, we want to be in great position to take advantage."
12-31-08 (Cards) Fuentes signs with Angels It is reported that the Card’s offer was 2yrs with an option for a 3rd
Mo:
"We made a very strong run out at the Winter Meetings," "And then with so much dead time, there wasn't much action. So when it really came time, I got basically called a few days ago to re-engage."
"I think he ended up where he wanted,"
"[Using a pitcher already in-house to close] has always been an option," "That's never changed. I think when we saw the market change on closers is when we engaged. So we made an attempt. We weren't [Fuentes'] first choice."
"Some of the higher medical risk players out there, I would say that is not the path we necessarily want to go down at this point," "I'd rather have more of a sure thing."
Also, Miles signs with the Cubs.
1-3-09 (PD) DeWitt Doesn’t like the Cheap Comments
DeWitt: "From Day One, we've always pushed payroll. It's at a very high level. We have different financial obligations than most clubs. How many teams have privately financed their own stadiums? "Clearly we have obligations there, and to have a payroll that's been in excess of $100 million over the last several years, in the top third of baseball. I think it speaks to the fact that we continue to push payroll. We've pushed player development, we've pushed scouting, we've pushed international (scouting and development). I think we've made a very strong commitment financially to this franchise. It kind of goes with the territory. But do I think it's unfair? Yes, I do."
DeWitt on TLR: "I say to him, 'You're worried about tonight's ballgame, or tomorrow's ballgame or the upcoming season. I'm worried about it, too. But I'm also worried about this franchise three years from now. I'm worried about this franchise five years from now. "So that's the sort of push and shove you have with someone who is on the field on a daily basis and living it. Who really wants the best possible team he can have at all times. And that's great. We do, too. But there's sometimes a difference of opinion whether you put the resources into a player (now), versus using those resources on something two or three years from now that is going to really pay off in a big way."
DeWitt on payroll: "We do not have a hard budget for payroll. Put it this way: If there were a player out there who I thought would significantly help this club, and it would push our payroll beyond what we'd like it to be, we would consider it."
TLR on using Motte or Perez as the Closer: "The way they can get there is to be put in a situation where they can learn, they can grow, without having the stress of it being all up to them to get that last out, and nothing to protect them. Our plan all winter was to try and beef it up to do something as we continue to develop these young guys. A guy like Fuentes was a real good fit for us, and we were all disappointed that it didn't work out. Now we go to Plan B. To me, you do what you have to do. If we get nobody, we'll push the kids some. But if you really want to get serious about getting the most out of them for their career, you want to protect those guys this year while they're learning their trade."
1-5-09 (Cards) TLR on the Closer situation:
"You still want to improve your bullpen," "We still want to try. I know we talked about it. The optimum thing is not to ask Chris or Jason to close in '09. Let them grow into the role when they're ready to take it. So who else is out there? One of the things you look at is ... a starter that's a veteran [who has] pitched in the ninth inning with a one-run lead before."
On Izzy: "We talked about that some," "I don't know how well [Isringhausen] fits. For one thing, I don't know how interested he is in coming back."
"I like Juan Cruz," "But he is a [Type-A] guy and he's looking for a lot of money. ... Lyon is a guy that we've talked about."
1-5-09 (Cards) Cards sign LHP Royce Ring to 1yr deal
1-7-09 (PD) Mo on the payroll: "Everybody talks about how much money we had come off (the books), but there's the realities of the arbitration cases," "and then there's players entering their second years of multiyear contracts, like your Wainwrights and your Molinas, that are going to see bumps as well."
"So there isn't as much freedom as people felt we had with guys like (Mark) Mulder coming off the books," "There's definitely some internal increases (outfielder Skip Schumaker among others) that we're dealing with. All in, it's probably close to $20 million."
Mo on the upset fans: "If I read the papers and if I go online to read the blogs, I'd probably be more aware of (the discontent)," "I can't ignore that, but that can't be the basis of the direction we go in. "I have to do what's best long-range and not make mistakes just to appease the headines tomorrow."
"When I said we were going to plan on being aggressive, I thought we were,"
"I'm not a wordsmith. Maybe I shouldn't use words like that."
Mo on the “Low-hanging fruit”: "I've been getting killed on that," "To me, that's defined as getting things done quickly — like getting (Jason) LaRue done and obviously (Kyle) Lohse."I guess I just need to choose my words a little better — or talk less."
Mo on TLR’s wanting a closer: "I know it's not optimal the way Tony (manager Tony La Russa) looks at it," "But we went with a very young outfield last year that got the same type of scrutiny and questions that now our bullpen is getting. I'm using that as a barometer that it works. "We had the same type of faith in Ludwick and Ankiel and that group as we do with Perez and Motte and (Kyle) McClellan."

1-8-09 (Cards) Mo ok to look at current team for Closer:
Mo:
"I think I've made it very clear that I'm comfortable with what we have [in the ninth inning]," "We did say that if we could find somebody like [Brian] Fuentes, that we thought there was value and talent in return, we would try to do it. But that didn't happen. We're very comfortable going with what we have in-house."
On TLR’s mention of converting a starter: "We were discussing throwing everything on the table, and if anybody had any ideas or thoughts on how we could possibly address one or the other need," "That was one idea that came up -- are there any pitchers out there that we could identify that have been traditionally used as starters who we could use to close?"
1-8-09 (PD) Fans upset by dry powder talk
Bernie on the upset fan base: “The fan base seems angry. On the talk shows and in the blogosphere, where the rage bubbles into a rapid boil, there's chatter of a boycott, of customers giving up their season tickets. They question the commitment to winning. They are tired of excuses. They won't spend another dollar until things change.”
“But the growing perception is that DeWitt is content to stand pat, freeze player costs and rake in the revenue. In the annual survey conducted by USA Today, the Cardinals ranked sixth in the majors in payroll spending in 2005, but have been ranked 11th in each of the last three seasons. In relative terms, they haven't kept up.”
“One of management's favorite expressions is "keeping the powder dry." When the club declines to sign a prominent free agent over the winter, we're told that they're keeping the powder dry for a better shot, later on. In spring training, the powder is kept dry for taking a shot at the July 31 trading deadline. And if nothing happens, the powder is still dry as another cycle begins anew, in the offseason.Apparently there's a vast, towering pile of unused powder sitting somewhere in the innards of Busch Stadium. And fans are tired of the constant spinning.”
“But if the Cardinals remain dormant and do nothing ...Will disgruntled fans react by purchasing fewer tickets? Will fans choose to keep their powder dry?”

1-8-09 Fungoes (Im not the only one who gets the impression that the PD is fanning the flames the)
*This was not included in the quotes above, but I thought it was a well articulated post.
http://stl-sabr.bajink.com/fungoes/?p=1551


Links to Sources:

*All of the Cards team site quotes can be found in their “News Archive” Section under the dates I have included.

From the PD:

Cards shift to patient 12-24-08
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/3357B8DB59222555862575290011339E?OpenDocument
1-3-09 DeWitt Unfair to Call Cards Cheap
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/berniemiklasz/story/1DA31EA834F08E848625753300141B90?OpenDocument
Cash flow might not be as Fluid as thought
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/263E0E19814836F386257537000905AE?OpenDocument
1-8-09 Dry Powder
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/berniemiklasz/story/AC9C1824CC29D1AE86257538000AACDB?OpenDocument
12-24-08 Bernie’s Blog Cards Cheap
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bernies-extra-points/bernies-extra-points/2008/12/five-minutes-for-blogging-dec-24/
12-11-08 Jeff Gordon on Fuentes
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/jeffgordon/story/3C36729274CAB6918625751C007CB612?OpenDocument
9-14-08 Aggressive Offseason
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/27BE79D50A8A25CA862574C4000F24A0?OpenDocument